Ubisoft Ditches Uplay Online Pass

Ubisoft has decided to drop their Uplay online pass after complaints that some Assassin’s Creed IV single player gameplay was locked behind the service.

The culprit here is “Edward’s Fleet,” a sort of bonus single player minigame that lets players in the campaign interact others online in-game or through second screen functionality using the AC IV app. The minigame required access to Ubisoft’s Uplay online multiplayer service, even though it doesn’t cost anything extra to play ACIV’s single player campaign.

“Games today are blurring the line between offline and online, between what is ‘single player’ and what is ‘multiplayer,’” Ubisoft said in a statement on their blog. Additionally, this means Uplay will no longer be used in future Ubisoft games. (Also, refunds or credits are planned for anyone that spent money on an AC IV online pass.)

While the statement is right, that’s a bold move for Ubi to make in the (usually) aggressively corporate triple-A publishing space. While online passes have already been more or less on their way out, every new company that pledges to ditch them is theoretically good for the industry. Good on 'em.